I love mucking about in the rain and springtime mud, and a pair of rain boots makes the sticky experience more fun — especially if they’re steel-toed like this pair from Tingley Rubber.  They’ll protect you if something slips out of your hands and falls on your toes while you’re working in the rain, and you won’t be caked in gunk from the knee down.

I found my size for $18, but price varies depending on foot size.

Tingley Rubber [Official Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

The pink belt is in style — hopefully just with the women, but you never know.  When I showed my wife a set that includes a small tool kit, tool belt, and hard hat, all in pink, she wanted them instantly. The prices are reasonable enough, so if you share tools with a group it might be worth it to stick one of your buddies with the pink belt;  that’ll teach ‘em to run into the worksite late.

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As a theater stage technician I handle hot light fixtures, heavy weights and set pieces, and ropes and rigging, so gloves are a must — after a day at the fly rail without ‘em, I’d be sorely sorry and rubbed raw. These SetWear Journeyman gloves feature tough, durable SureGrip panels on the palm and fingers, and they look like they’d do the trick.

Everyone at work wears SetWear gear, which seems to be a staple in theaters and on movie sets alike, and I think these gloves are reasonable at $27, if they hold up to the wear and tear of an average workday.  But I’ll throw this one out to you guys:  How many of you handle rope on a daily basis, hemp or synthetic?  What kind of gloves do you use?  Let us know in comments.

Journeyman Gloves [SetWear]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Onlineshoes.com is selling these Dr. Martens oxford steel-toed shoes for $80.  I’ve been wearing this style for the past ten years or so, and my second pair is on its last legs.

I’m posting this for two reasons:  to let you know about a good deal, and to ask if anyone has any better suggestions for a steel-toed shoe.  While my Doc Martens have held up ok, I’ve noticed that the sole tends to crack at the arch (both pairs I’ve had have done this), and they aren’t as comfortable as I’d like when standing for long periods.  That said, they’re much better than the steel-toed oxfords I’ve bought at Payless!

Dr. Martens Oxford Steel-Toed Shoe [Onlineshoes.com]

We’re big fans of custom tools. Not only do they say something about you as a tool guy but they’re a fun way to set yourself apart from the herd. This fine example of a custom welding helmet from reader Lungofish struck us as a sweet way to get art into the shop. He writes about the process:

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I first saw these gloves during the NASCAR pit crew races a few weeks ago.  A newscaster was interviewing one of the tire-changers who was wearing these gloves that looked like they could win a fight with a meat grinder.  Even if they never face that challenge, the gloves certainly gave the pit crew member the cool-factor during the interview.

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Whether you’re up in the deer stand or on the shop floor, when your feet get cold, life is no longer fun.  You can dress as warm as you want, but sometimes it’s not enough — that’s when it’s time to slip some Cozy Feet foot warmers into your shoes.  Powered by a few AA batteries, they’ll warm your toes in seconds.

The low-voltage insert is shockproof and reaches a safe maximum temperature of 98°F.  The one-size-fits-all insert measures 4-1/2″ long by 2-7/8″ wide by 6 mils thick.

A set of inserts runs $25.

Cozy Feet [Cozy Products]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

A few years ago Mechanix added the M-pact padded glove to their always-great-looking lineup of gloves.  Now they’re making another go of it with the Impact Pro — it sports the same color scheme and rubber styling as the original M-pact, plus reinforced fingertips and breathable palms that the glove doctors at Mechanix say will give you less sweaty-palm syndrome while at the same time providing a better grip on anything in your grasp.

Figure on around $15 to $20 for a pair — which means if you pick some up and they feel good, you can have ‘em for about the same price as any other set of mechanics gloves.

Impact Pro Gloves [Mechanix]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Although it looks like a bib from an all-you-can-eat buffet, you might appreciate this apron if you’ve ever been working on a project with many small parts and lost a critical part on the floor. The apron attaches to the bottom edge of your workbench to catch any components that try to make a break for it over the edge.

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Gear retailers who operate strictly online enjoy a freedom that I find refreshing — mostly because, in their ads, many of these companies call it like they see it.  Take this ad from Duluth for example:  Not only do they tell you why you need a three-inch tail on your T-shirt, they show you why.

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Working outside in the winter, it’s hard enough dealing with the cold and the deep snow, and you don’t need the added pain of falling on your ass.  These MICROspikes from Kahtoola slip over your shoes or boots to give you traction on nearly any surface from ice and packed snow to concrete.

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Sanding into corners or convex curves with a quarter-sheet palm sander can be challenging, but with their EZ Sand Pro, Wizard Industries hopes to make that task a bit easier.  This lightweight foam block includes three nested profiles which allow you to sand many curved shapes and angles. (more…)

Whenever I hear the words “safety” and “gloves” together, I either flash back to high school PSA’s, or I feel a distinct urge to dig out my old Men Without Hats album.  These safety gloves aren’t Thriller-style or anything as sexy as all that — they will help you to not remove pieces of your fingers with a whittling knife, though.

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Every time I see Mechanix vent gloves I think of the eighties, when guys used to wear leather driving gloves with the fingers cut off.  Perhaps it’s the holes in the hand, but they always produce a chuckle.

You might ask, “Are these the same as the regular gloves, just with holes?”  Yes, yes they are.  Aside from sporting the “80s Awesomeness” they’re the same Mechanix gloves you might find in any shop, just with more of a perforated vibe.  Down here where it’s hot eight months out of the year, you do actually see them around.  White isn’t the best color in the world for ‘em, but they don’t stay that way for long.

Pricing is about the same at $18 to $20 per pair.

Vent Glove [Mechanix]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

How do you tell Toolmongers from average folk? Look at their feet! Flip-flops are for the pool (or community shower) and sneakers are perfect for walkin’ the swap meet. But around the shop, boots rule the roost. We’re a fussy lot when it comes to footwear, and we know that no single pair works for everyone. But when we recently got our hands on a few pairs of Wolverine Raider 8” work boots, we jumped at the chance to wear ‘em around the shop to see what would happen. Hint: they’re very comfortable and durable as hell.

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Wearing a respirator mask usually involves fumbling with irritating stretchy straps, followed by muffled grumbling. AO Safety eliminates this frustration with their Quicklatch respirator — instead of grabbing for nylon bands, you tighten and loosen the mask with a flip latch.

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If you haven’t checked out Blaklader’s hardcore work gear you might want to give them a go — they’re tough and uber-handy on the jobsite.  For 2008, Blaklader’s expanding their line to bring the Bantam Kangaroo Vest to the states.

The vest features two breast pockets with safety straps and a phone pocket, plus three front utility pockets. The two larger utility pockets hang down in front, strongly secured to the rest of the vest, but in classic keep-stuff-where-you-need-it Blaklader style.  They may look a bit strange, but they’re usually out of the way and super-easy to get to.

Bantam Kangaroo Vest [Blaklader]